


Problem Solving 101

by Tricochet



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: F/F, Requested
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-27
Updated: 2018-01-27
Packaged: 2019-03-10 00:24:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13492950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tricochet/pseuds/Tricochet
Summary: Sara is invited to give a lecture on problem solving at the Bureau's next staff meeting, and Ava realizes that she has some problems she needs to solve.





	Problem Solving 101

“I can’t believe they asked you to give a lecture about problem solving!” Ava says. “Your problem solving is basically seduce, fight, or avoid!”

Sara raises an eyebrow and sticks her lip out. “I think you’re just jealous that our bosses asked me and not you to present at the big meeting.”

“It’s not that! It’s just that it doesn’t make sense. In training, you were used as the example of what not to do, and now they want you to teach us?”

“It’s going to be a great presentation, Ava,” Sara jokes. “And you had better be there or I’m going to file an attendance complaint with your bosses.”

“How many meetings have you been to in the past three months?” Ava asks. “Because I have been to nine.”

“Maybe they need a fresh perspective,” Sara says, ignoring Ava's question.

Ava studies her. “Just… when you give your presentation, please wear nice clothes that are appropriate to the time period and not bloodstained.”

Sara pouts. Ava can’t fight a smile as she turns away.

 

 

“Today I am going to talk to you all about problem solving,” Sara starts. Ava is impressed that she actually showed up to a meeting, and Sara is wearing ironed clothes and has her hair back.

Sara rolls out a diagram of steps.

“So, whenever you are having a problem, the first thing you want to do is identify what it is. It may sound obvious, but you won’t be able to solve a problem without knowing specifically what is wrong.”

Sara points to the next step. “The easiest thing to do for some problems is avoiding them. It works for some problems, like if you have a neighbor who always wants to talk to you when he sees you. That can be avoided just by not letting the neighbor see you. However, not all problems are avoidable. You’re going to have to do the dishes sometime.”

Sara shows a drawing on the diagram. Her illustration shows a stick figure blocked by a rock walking around the rock. Ava wants to shake her head.

“The next thing you might consider is asking someone else. Sometimes, other people are more equipped to do something than you are. Even if the problem is that you’re hungry but you can’t move because a cat is sitting in your lap and it’s cute, you might get your roommate to bring you a snack. But this is another one you have to be wary of so you don’t become annoyingly dependant.”

Sara’s diagram for that one shows a stick figure still trapped on one side of the rock, but another stick figure is across from it. 

“Then, you want to solve the problem with politeness and charm. If somebody else keeps eating your food, you might want to talk to them and ask them not to. Make them like you and want to stop the problem.”

Sara produces a drawing of the stick figure politely asking the rock to move.

“The last thing you want to try is brute force. If your enemy is trying to stab you, you don’t want to avoid it, and you can’t have anyone else deal with it. Politeness is also unlikely to work. You just have to block them and force them to stop.”

Sara’s final drawing shows a straining stick figure pushing on a rock. Ava is struck by the similarities to the ‘seduce, fight, or avoid’ strategy she had accused Sara of.

“So, who here has been having a problem?” Sara asks. 

Gary raises his hand.

“Yes, Gary.”

“I’ve kept getting kidnapped,” Gary says. Ava wonders if he realizes that Sara is one of the ones who had kidnapped him. 

“Well, that sounds like a pretty unavoidable problem,” Sara says. Ava can hear the humor in her voice. “I would describe it specifically as reoccurring incidents where you are taken by hostiles. Having someone else always there to rescue you wouldn’t hurt. Diplomacy might not work, but it is usually worth a try. You might be able to convince the kidnappers that you would be more valuable safely returned to the Bureau than with them. And, depending on who kidnaps you, you might be able to fight them off and escape. Who else has a problem of a different type? Let’s say, you like someone but you don’t know if they like you back. What do you do? Any suggestions? Ava?”

Ava rolls her eyes and wonders why Sara would call on her. “Avoid talking to them or acting on your feelings.”

“That would be the avoid route, yes. That could work for a while, but you might miss out. What about the collaboration strategy?”

Sara looks at Ava again. Ava sighs and answers. “Get somebody else to ask them if they like you middle-school style.”

“Could turn out very awkward. What about diplomacy? Think you could reason with your feelings?” Sara prompts.

“Unlikely.”

“And how would you follow the confronting it head-on procedure?”

“Just, like, walk up to them and say you like them,” Ava says. She’s hoping that Sara’s part will be over soon.

“So, I hope you see how every problem can be solved using these steps,” Sara says. She takes her posterboard down and sits next to Ava.

 

 

“That could have been worse,” Ava says from behind her desk. Sara looks at her from the other side.

“Thank you,” Sara says cheerfully. “Did you figure out the solution to any problems you’ve been having?”

“I could send Gary to tell a girl I like her,” Ava jokes. 

Sara laughs. “That would be very middle-school of you.”

“Or I could just, uh,” Ava pauses and looks around her office, “do this.”

Before she can regret it, Ava takes a step closer to Sara. “I like you.”

Sara tilts her head and stands on her toes to kiss Ava. Ava smiles softly until Sara pulls back.

“Hey, I need you to write a response to my presentation where you talk about if you like it and which steps are working for you.”

Ava shuts her eyes for a second. “I think the confronting step is treating me just fine.”


End file.
